IMPORTANT!!!!(Read Before Continuing) Those murders that happened first thing in Chapter 1 took place 3 years ago. I'm sorry, I forgot to write that in. Sorry it took me awhile to UD and this chapter is kinda short, but I wanted to give ya'll something. Hope ya'll enjoy!!

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Dean found and clicked on the link to the local newspaper's website a few moments after Sam left for coffee. "Damnit, he's torturing himself again." Dean thought as he looked over the main articles on the site. Dean knew exactly what was bothering Sam, because it was bothering him as well. Not a day had gone by in the last few weeks where Dean didn't think of the deal he made. He admited he was worried, in fact he was downright scared out of his mind. Dean didn't regret for a split second what he would have to face in a little over 11 months from now, because Sam was brought back to him in exchange.

No, Dean was worried about what would happen to Sam after he was no longer around to protect and watch after him; that thought tortured Dean and was omnipresent in his mind. "How certain are you that what you brought back is 100, pure Sam?" That thought plagued Dean's already troubled mind as well, but he always dismissed it the exact same way. "Go to hell, you son of a bitch. I wasted you, you won't be hurting Sammy anymore." Dean did find slight comfort in the fact that he killed the YED and hopefully his "Plans for Sam and all the other children like him" along with it. Dean shook his head, mumbling to himself.

"I take it back; demons are just as crazy as people." He exed out of the site for the local paper, not having found any unexplained deaths or weird occurences. He typed in a general search for recent death announcements and sat back after hitting "Enter". Dean ran his hands over the back of his head and took a look around the hotel room. His eyes stopped on Sam's bed. The sheets and blankets were completely askew, obviously from constant tossing and turning throughout the night. Dean frowned at the bed and sighed. "And he's not sleeping..."

"...Great." He mumbled, finishing his thought aloud. Dean would be more than willing to help Sam search for a way to stop his impending doom, but he didn't want to press what the crossroad demon had warned him. "If you try to welch or weasle your way out then the deal's off and Sam drops dead." Dean ran a hand over his face. Once again he felt like the weight of the world had been placed on his increasingly tiring shoulders. Dean would often muse about why and how he managed to put up with it all. Sometimes he felt like giving up altogether, he would feel the same way he felt the night he was left to stare at his brother's lifeless form. These feelings of hopelessness were no stranger to Dean, but he had a way to overcome them; a single thread reminding him of what needed to be done and how important it was to keep going. "Sam..." A single thought would bring Dean's cluttered mind into focus again. "Sam needs you..." Dean clenched his jaw as he recalled the overwhelming, unbareable despair he felt the night Sam was taken from him. Although Dean had grasped him tightly in his arms, Sam had still faded away right in front of him. "...God knows you need him too...more than anything."

His attention was pulled back into focus by a headline. "Another Bizarre Death: Cause Still Unknown." Dean leaned forward and clicked on the link.

"Joshua Haroldson was found dead last night on the side of Clearview Road, just outside of town. No markings what-so-ever were found on the victim's body, but the coroner reported that many of the victim's organs were greatly bruised and that a hole was found through the victim's left lung. The coroner commented on this incident. Quote: 'I've no idea what could have caused this. There is no entrance or exit wound to indicate the lung puncture and there is absolutely no external damage on the skin over the bruised organs." End quote. This is the fourth death of its kind over the past four years. The first two were Victor and Michelle Grace in 2005 and last year there was Dominic Dorian. Authorities are still investigating but are left with no leads of any kind."

Dean was excited as he read over the article; he had been itching for something to hunt for weeks now. He clicked on the first of the two highlighted names. The link led him to another article published June 29th of 2004. The article stated the same bruising found on the two victim's internal organs and tissue, the mysterious holes through heart and brain-in this particular incident-and the unknown cause of said injuries and ensuing death.

Dean navigated back to the original story, clicking on the second highlighted name. Dominic Dorian had died the exact same way on June 29th, 2006. "June 29th again..." Dean thought to himself and went once more back to the original article, checking the publish date: June 29th, 2007. That had been the previous day. Dean smiled a little to himself and triumphantly clicked the "Add To Favorites" button at the top of the server window. Light streamed into the darkened room as Sam opened the door and entered, easily holding two to-go coffee cups in his large hand. He immediately noticed his brother's cheery spirits as he grinned up at him. Sam couldn't help but smile a little himself; he hadn't seen Dean in such a good mood in awhile.

"What?" he asked, narrowing his eyes a little in curiosity. Dean stood up, scratching at his messy hair.

"We're back in business; I'm pretty sure I've found us a job."

Sam raised his eyebrows. "Really? Where?"

"Idaho." Dean took the top cup from Sam's hand. "Wouldn't be more than 5 hours drive from here."

Sam nodded and sat down to read over what Dean had found. Dean sipped quietly at his coffee and waited to hear Sam's take on their next possible hunt.

Sam looked surprised and leaned back in the chair. "In the first published obit, it says that the only suspect was Clarissa Grace, the victim's ex-wife. They had divorced only about a month before and people around town said she didn't seem to be taking it well."

Dean nodded. "It also says that when the cops went to question her, Clarissa had vanished. She hasn't been seen or found; she just dropped off the face of the earth." Dean wiggled his eyebrows and smirked at Sam. Sam breathed out a laugh and looked back at the computer.

He nodded. "Ok, guess we should check it out."

Dean grinned and turned briskly to start packing up to his the road. Sam shook his head, smiling at his brother.

"Try not to burst into song and start frolicking all over, Dean."

Dean tossed a bag on his bed and turned to quip back at Sam.

"Yeah, well try not to..." Dean paused, searching for a sharp, yet funny comeback. Sam raised his eyebrows in anticipation, his smile growing wider with each second of Dean's silence.

"...Shut up." Dean finally resigned and returned to putting his clothes in the bag, a smile pulling at the corners of his mouth. Sam laughed triumphantly, but as he looked upon Dean, a stab of pain darkened his heart and caused his smile to waver a little. With every happy moment of banter that the two brothers shared, there was a shadow of a reminder accompanying it.

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Ok, so I know it's a tad slow going, but the intensity is yet to come, I promise:D

Reviews are always nice ; P

Lil